Chapter 32: The Dream of Enlightenment – I think Lady Li is the one I’m looking for…

The young gentleman hid under the covers, secretly inching forward. He would move a bit, then stop, very carefully listening to Li Ruantang’s breathing to make sure she was still asleep, before continuing on.

Though it was just a short distance, due to his nervousness and excitement, it wasn’t long before a thin layer of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose.

The closer he got to her, the more distinct the sweet fragrance in her breath became.

The young gentleman glanced at the distance where he could rest his head on her shoulder from the side, and immediately his lips curved up in a smile. His beautiful phoenix eyes sparkled as he gazed at Li Ruantang for a good while before tightly closing them.

“Wife-master,” Meng Jun called to her softly, “I, I’m scared, so I want to sleep close to you. If you don’t object, you don’t need to wake up specially to tell me!”

His voice was as quiet as could be, and the latter half was said especially quickly.

The “sleeping” Li Ruantang didn’t react at first when she heard this, until the young gentleman happily rested his head on her shoulder, whispering in her ear, “Tangtang, my pillow isn’t comfortable, I want—”

Meng Jun’s ears turned slightly red as he glanced up at Li Ruantang, who showed no reaction, and said softly, “I want to sleep like this, is that okay?”

“If you agree, just keep your eyes closed.”

Li Ruantang: “……”

Today, the young husband was being unusually proactive. The gentleman who usually asked her not to cross the line now had his slender fingers secretly resting on her waist.

She opened her eyes slightly.

The young gentleman seemed especially energetic, his earlier drowsiness having disappeared without a trace. He quietly pinched the soft flesh at Li Ruantang’s waist, his upturned lips becoming more obvious. “Tangtang.”

He called to her again, “You smell so nice, I want—”

Li Ruantang was startled. Before she could listen closely, the young husband resting on her shoulder let out a long yawn. The young gentleman nestled comfortably against her neck, raising his lips to gently nuzzle her. “Mmm, want, want……”

He was becoming drowsy again, his eyelids as heavy as mountains. Before he could finish speaking, he rolled directly into Li Ruantang’s arms, falling into an even sweeter sleep.

“Silly chirp chirp.”

Li Ruantang laughed and poked the tip of his nose, then casually picked up a strand of her own hair and sniffed it carefully. In the past, chirp chirp would always say she smelled of flowers, but no matter how she smelled, she couldn’t detect that so-called sweet fragrance.

Even now, her hair at most smelled of soap, which could hardly be described as pleasant.

However, the young husband nestled in her arms was indeed very sweet-smelling.

These past few days, he had been bathing in freshly picked flowers, which apparently hadn’t been in vain.

As the smile on Li Ruantang’s face deepened, the arm around her waist tightened, and the young gentleman drew even closer, as if wanting to sink completely into her embrace. Even his sleep-talking was different from usual, filled with a hesitant affection. “Mmm, wife-master.”

He frowned slightly, encountering some difficult matter in his dream.

Li Ruantang gently patted his back, her soft voice like warm sunshine, patient and focused, “Don’t be afraid, chirp chirp, I’m here.”

She called his name softly. In the night, all this tender affection fell into the young gentleman’s dreams, gradually becoming something indescribable.

He didn’t know when he had wandered into a misty realm. Behind layers of swirling clouds, there was only a bamboo frame.

The sound of water splashing gradually arose, but there were no human voices.

The young gentleman immediately grew curious. As he approached inquisitively and just peeked out with both eyes, he saw a young woman sitting in the bathtub behind the bamboo frame.

She had her back turned, scooping up water, seemingly unaware of any disturbance.

The exposed section of her shoulder was fair, with old scars, clearly indicating she had suffered much hardship.

Meng Jun’s face turned red at the sight, and he instinctively averted his gaze.

He, he, he hadn’t meant to look on purpose. It was just that this bamboo frame looked exactly like the one in their room. The young gentleman closed his eyes somewhat dejectedly. He had thought Li Ruantang would be inside.

Li Ruantang?!

Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t put his finger on what was strange, but as the mist enveloped him again, when the young gentleman rubbed his eyes, what he saw was the buckwheat pillow placed in one spot.

He recognized the person sleeping on it.

“Mmm, wife-master!”

Before he could happily approach, a man with an indistinct face suddenly appeared beside Li Ruantang, slowly bending down to get close to her.

No! No! That’s his wife-master!

The young gentleman’s expression suddenly darkened. He took several quick steps forward, but every time he tried to pull away the man who was drawing near, the sleeve he grasped would turn to smoke in his hand.

He couldn’t stop it or disperse it.

Just as the man was about to succeed, the young gentleman’s mind went blank. With a superhuman effort, he passed straight through the layer of smoke and threw himself into Li Ruantang’s arms.

Tears of anxiety still lingered in the corners of his eyes as he carefully shielded Li Ruantang with one hand while nervously looking back.

The man made of smoke was still persistently bending down.

In his anxiety, the young gentleman completely forgot about his shyness. Using his body as a shield, he clearly separated Li Ruantang from that layer of smoke.

When the smoke tried to reach for Li Ruantang’s hand, Meng Jun quickly grabbed it first.

When it tried to get close and touch her, the young gentleman directly kissed her lips first.

He wouldn’t allow this man made of smoke to covet Li Ruantang in the slightest.

No! Absolutely not!

Meng Jun protected her tightly. After struggling for a while, the smoke gradually lost interest and was dispersed by a breeze from somewhere.

Only after it left did the young gentleman finally relax.

His thick long lashes hid his somewhat shy phoenix eyes. Meng Jun pursed his lips in a light smile, his slender fingers touching the corner of his mouth that had just kissed her.

His ink-black hair fell half-loose, sliding down from behind his ears. The young gentleman stared fixedly at the vermilion lips so close to him, his throat moving slightly.

How could anyone look so beautiful while sleeping?

She was like sugar coated in honey, bewitching Meng Jun’s wavering heart.

If he just lowered his head a little more, if he just touched her once more…

“Youning, take this hot water to your mother first.”

From beyond the window, Zhou Fulang’s casual instructions to Hu Youning came through clearly. The young gentleman was startled. As soon as his attention wavered, Li Ruantang, whom he had been holding so tightly just now, vanished like the wind, without a trace.

“Wife……”

The voice that came out was more difficult than usual. The young gentleman struggled for quite a while. Just as he managed to move his stiff fingers slightly, a faint light flashed before his eyes, and the surrounding sounds became increasingly clear.

He stared blankly at the dilapidated roof for a long while before realizing where he was.

Not only was the bedding here not soft enough, even the undergarments were uncomfortable.

Just as he was thinking this, the young gentleman’s movement to sit up froze. Those beautiful phoenix eyes flickered with uncertainty. First, he glanced around to confirm Li Ruantang wasn’t in the room, then hesitantly reached inside to feel. In an instant, Meng Jun’s jade-like complexion flushed a brilliant red.

Oh no!

Of all times, why did this first awakening of manhood have to happen now!

Meng Jun couldn’t understand it at all.

Although Han Fushi had indeed hinted at this matter to him before, the young gentleman was still confused. He hadn’t done anything, so how had he suddenly become enlightened?

He was flustered and at a loss, not knowing whom to ask.

Li Ruantang, who had just pushed open the door carrying water, looked up to see her young husband’s face turning red then white, looking like he was about to cry.

“Chirp chirp?”

Li Ruantang approached with concern, but before she could get close, the young gentleman, who had come to his senses, called out to stop her, “No, no, wife-master, don’t come over yet.”

He didn’t want Li Ruantang to see him in this state, and besides, it was too embarrassing to explain.

The young gentleman hurriedly wrapped himself up like a cocoon in the blanket. Afraid that Li Ruantang might really misunderstand and get angry, he stammered an explanation, “I, I just want to take a bath.”

He carefully watched Li Ruantang’s expression and tentatively held up one finger to gesture to her, “Wife-master, I’ll only soak for a bit. It won’t delay our return to the capital.”

“Silly boy, you’re my husband. What’s this talk of delaying?” Li Ruantang slowly took a few steps closer. Seeing the young gentleman relax, she then reached out to lightly touch his forehead.

The temperature under her hand was a bit hot, but she couldn’t tell if it was from him catching a cold or from the sweat of being under the covers.

Li Ruantang paused, her gaze falling on the thin blanket the young gentleman was clutching tightly. She negotiated with him, “Chirp chirp, you should wait for your sweat to cool before taking off your clothes to bathe. For now, just put down the thin blanket. Uneven hot and cold can easily lead to catching a chill.”

As she spoke, she reached out her hand, intending to let chirp chirp burrow into her arms like before.

But today, the young gentleman seemed to be hiding something inside and refused to let go of the thin blanket no matter what.

“Wife, wife-master, I’m fine.” Meng Jun grew increasingly uncomfortable. Wrapped in the blanket, he avoided Li Ruantang’s fingers and sat even further away. He jerked his chin towards the window and said, “Wife-master, why don’t you go see how Hu Sanniang and the others are doing with their packing?”

Since Hu Sanniang’s family was also going to return to the capital with Li Ruantang today, the young gentleman had a sudden inspiration and urged her to go out.

Li Ruantang grew increasingly puzzled, but since chirp chirp was so resistant, even if she asked further, she probably wouldn’t get any real answers.

Thinking of this, Li Ruantang nodded with a smile and handed him a cup of warm water. “Alright then.”

She left promptly, and the young gentleman immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Behind the bamboo screen, the bathtub was still filled with flower petals that she had carefully scattered.

As soon as Meng Jun sat down, his mind suddenly recalled that strange dream.

How strange, why was it that even in this enlightening dream, he was getting close to her? Wasn’t he supposed to be helping Li Ruantang detoxify?

The young gentleman’s heart grew increasingly unsettled. He patted his own face with his hand, glanced at the undergarments thrown to one side, and let out a pitiful sigh as he leaned on the edge of the bathtub.

He was clean now, but what about his clothes?

They couldn’t dry immediately after washing. No matter how Meng Jun thought about it, he felt it would be better to cut them up and throw them away. Otherwise, if Li Ruantang happened to see them, he, he wouldn’t be able to explain.

The young gentleman, now changed into fresh clothes, was still uneasy. Before he could dry his hair, he leaned out the window to borrow a pair of scissors from Hu Youning.

Even if these personal items were to be cut up, they needed to be cut into tiny pieces.

Meng Jun sat on the stool, concentrating intently as he wielded the small scissors.

Knock knock — someone gently knocked on the door. “Chirp chirp, it’s me, Youning. Can I come in?”

Ah? At this crucial moment?!

The young gentleman was on the verge of tears. His hands moved even faster as he responded to Hu Youning while quickly finding a small bundle to wrap up these shredded cloth strips.

“Youning.”

The moment Hu Youning pushed open the door and entered, Meng Jun had just tied the final knot. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, kicking the small bundle behind him with his foot, and smiled, “Have you finished packing your belongings?”

“Yes.” Hu Youning nodded, then after a while carefully said, “Chirp chirp, what do you plan to do after we return to the capital?”

He seemed to have made a big decision. Without waiting for the young gentleman to answer, he continued, “Previously, Lady Li was injured and couldn’t handle any shock, but now everything is improving. Moreover, Miss Wei is in the capital. If you truly don’t want to live with Lady Li, this might be an opportunity.”

“Youning, actually I—”

“I know.” Hu Youning waved his hand at him, nodding quite understandingly, “This is a letter Miss Wei had someone deliver early this morning. She is also concerned about you.”

“Chirp chirp.” Hu Youning lowered his brows and eyes, “In one’s life, if one cannot find someone they like, I’m afraid it will leave many regrets.”

“Now that you and Miss Wei are in love, you must be worried about Lady Li being alone, right?” He took a deep breath, his flushed face like fine rouge lightly brushed across his cheeks. “Actually, I’ve always felt that Lady Li is a good person.”

“After these days, I’ve realized that Lady Li is the wife-master I’ve been looking for.” Hu Youning’s smiling eyes grew increasingly shy. He reached out to hold the frozen Meng Jun’s hand. “Chirp chirp, don’t worry. I will stay by Lady Li’s side. I believe that one day, I too will see the clouds part and the moon shine bright.”

“So, after we return to the capital, you can feel at ease to separate from Lady Li.”